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Fire department introduces "Brush 48"

Push-in ceremony a reminder of time-honored traditions

The St Augustine Fire Department introduced the newest member of its fleet by going old school with a Wetting Down and Push In ceremony that included the use of Engine 3, the department's own piece of history, a 1928 American LaFrance fire truck.

The ceremony, held on on Wednesday, March 15 at the department’s Main Fire Station on Malaga St., was reminiscent of the fire service's rich history of traditions and customs. As noted by Fire Chief Carlos Aviles, "Celebrating our heritage is what we are all about, but if we are not careful, our history and traditions will start to slip away one by one, until one day you look around and they're all gone". By bringing back the push-in ceremony, the St. Augustine Fire Department embraced this traditional way of celebrating the purchase of a new fire truck.

The new piece of equipment, appropriately named "Brush 48", is commonly referred to as a brush truck, specifically built and equipped to work fires in off-road conditions. The truck is equipped with specialized firefighting equipment and is capable of self-pumping water from an onboard 350gallon tank. Following the push-in ceremony, the new truck will be immediately ready for service.

The tradition dates to the 1830s when fire companies used horse drawn equipment that was quite difficult to back into the fire house requiring firefighters to push the carriage into the fire house. The ceremony mimics a daily routine for those firefighters by literally pushing the new fire truck into the fire house.

In these early days of the tradition, members of the fire department would perform a "wet-down,” a ritual celebrated by many fire departments in the United States. When new horses or pumpers were purchased, neighboring firehouses, department chiefs, and citizens from the surrounding community would attend the ceremony to celebrate the new addition to their neighborhood firehouse. Local clergy came to bestow blessings upon the horse throwing holy water unto it for long life, strength, speed and good health. The blessing would serve to ward off any evil spirits or "gremlins" that could affect the firehouse's newest addition.

NOTICE OF CUSTODIAN OF PUBLIC RECORDS: The City of St. Augustine has designated the City Clerk, Darlene Galambos, its Custodian of Public Records pursuant to Chapter 119, Florida Statutes. Anyone wishing to inspect or copy public records consistent with Florida law should contact the Custodian of Public Records at:

City of St. AugustineCustodian of Public RecordsDarlene Galambos, City Clerk75 King StreetPO Box 210 St. Augustine, FL 32085 Phone: (904) 825-1007Send Email: recordsrequest@citystaug.com